TW201901313A - Conveyance hand, conveyance apparatus, lithography apparatus, manufacturing method of article, and holding mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a conveyance hand for holding a conveyed object, the conveyance hand including a base, a pad configured to suction the conveyed object, and a first elastic member fixed to the base and configured to support the pad, wherein the first elastic member includes three or more support units each configured to support the pad, and is configured so that a rigidity in a vertical direction is lower than a rigidity in a horizontal direction such that the pad conforms to a shape of the conveyed object.

Description

Handling, handling equipment, lithography equipment, manufacturing method and holding mechanism of articles

The present invention relates to a handling hand, a handling device, a lithography apparatus, a method of manufacturing an article, and a holding mechanism.

In a transfer device in which a substrate (for example, a wafer used for manufacturing a semiconductor device or a glass plate used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device) is an object to be transported, the object to be transported is usually adsorbed (held) by a transport hand having an adsorption pad and Carry it out. However, when warping or deformation occurs in the object to be transported, the surface of the object to be transported (target adsorption surface) and the adsorption surface of the adsorption pad cannot be matched, so that good adsorption is impossible. Therefore, a handling hand is proposed in Japanese Patent No. 5929947 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2016-157822, wherein the adsorption pad is supported by the elastic member, and when the adsorption surface of the adsorption pad is made to take the surface shape of the object to be transported The vacuum is formed by an elastic member disposed under the adsorption pad.

In recent years, in semiconductor exposure processing, there is a demand for a substrate (reconfiguration substrate) in which a wafer has been reconfigured on a resin. In a reconfigured substrate, the warpage of the substrate tends to be larger than that of a conventional substrate (tantalum wafer). Further, in the reconfigured substrate, the warped shape may vary depending on the peripheral position of the substrate, and the warping direction may be both the longitudinal and lateral directions with respect to the substrate surface.

In the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 5929947 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-157822, the force (rigidity) required for the adsorption surface of the adsorption pad to take the surface shape of the object to be transported is based on the support for the adsorption pad. The arrangement direction of the elastic members varies. Therefore, in the case where the object to be transported is warped in a complicated manner, the amount of deformation of the elastic member in a specific direction is insufficient, and the surface of the object to be transported and the adsorption surface of the adsorption pad cannot be matched, and good adsorption will be no. possible. Further, when the amount of deformation of the elastic member in a specific direction is increased, its rigidity is lowered, the rigidity in the conveying direction becomes low, and thus it is no longer possible to hold the object to be carried with high positioning accuracy.

The present invention provides a transporter that facilitates holding an object to be transported with high positioning accuracy.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a carrier for holding an object to be transported, the carrier includes a base, a pad configured to adsorb the object to be transported, and a first elastic member fixed to the base and configured to support the pad, Wherein the first elastic member includes three or more supporting units, each of which is configured to support the pad, and the first elastic member is configured such that the rigidity in the vertical direction is lower than the rigidity in the horizontal direction, thereby causing the pad It conforms to the shape of the object being transported.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that in all the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same members, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a carrying hand 10 according to an aspect of the present invention. The transporting hand 10 is detachably mounted in a transporting apparatus for transporting a substrate as an object to be transported (for example, a wafer for manufacturing a semiconductor device or a glass plate for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device), and the transporting hand 10 is used Adsorption to keep the object being transported. Hereinafter, a direction perpendicular to the holding surface (the carrying hand 10 holds the object to be transported on the holding surface) is defined as a Z-axis, and in the corresponding holding surface, the direction in which the carrying hand 10 is attached to the carrying device is defined as X. The axis, and the direction perpendicular to the X axis, is defined as the Y axis.

As shown in FIG. 1, the carrying hand 10 includes a base portion 2 constituting a main body of the carrying hand 10, a suction pad unit 11 disposed on the base portion 2, and a support pad unit 12 disposed on the base portion 2. The adsorption pad unit 11 and the support pad unit 12 support the object to be transported by coming into contact with the back surface of the object to be transported. The adsorption pad unit 11 generates an adsorption force due to a negative pressure on the object to be conveyed. The support pad unit 12 supports the object to be transported in the Z-axis direction.

In the present embodiment, two adsorption pad units 11 and one support pad unit 12 are disposed on the base 2 as shown in FIG. However, the number of the adsorption pad unit 11 and the support pad unit 12 disposed on the base 2 is not limited thereto. For example, when the object to be transported can be held in a good balance with respect to the weight, the three or more suction pad units 11 can also be arranged without the support pad unit 12 being disposed. Further, the base 2 as a whole is a planar member, and has a shape capable of arranging the adsorption pad unit 11 at a position where the object to be conveyed is held in a good balance with respect to the weight (for example, a position at which the center of gravity of the object to be conveyed is captured).

2A and 2B are plan views of the adsorption pad unit 11. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the adsorption pad unit 11. The adsorption pad unit 11 includes a pad 1, a leaf spring 3, and an O-ring 4. Here, the pad 1 and the leaf spring 3 function as a holding mechanism for the carrying hand 10 for holding the object to be transported.

The mat 1 has a circular outer shape and forms an adsorption surface (adsorption area) for adsorbing the object to be transported. Specifically, the mat 1 includes an adsorption tank 1a and a through hole 1b, and the adsorption tank 1a forms an adsorption surface, and the adsorption surface faces the object to be conveyed in a state where the adsorption surface is in contact with the object to be conveyed. One end of the through hole 1b communicates with the adsorption groove 1a, and the other end of the through hole 1b opens to the base 2 (opening toward the base 2).

The base 2 includes a vent hole 2a and a passage 2b inside. One end of the vent hole 2a is opened to the pad 1 (opening toward the pad 1). For example, the vent hole 2a is formed to be substantially concentric with the absorbing groove 1a of the pad 1 when the pad 1 is disposed on the base 2. One end of the passage 2b communicates with the exhaust hole 2a, and the other end of the passage 2b opens to the outside to communicate with an exhaust unit (not shown) for exhausting the air of the adsorption tank 1a (toward the external opening). Therefore, the vent hole 2a that cooperates with the passage 2b functions as a hole. One end of the hole is in communication with the exhaust unit, and the other end of the hole is open to the pad 1.

The leaf spring 3 is fixed to the base 2 and functions as a first elastic member that supports the mat 1 at three or more points. In the present embodiment, the leaf spring 3 is configured such that it includes three or more support units 3a (each support unit 3a supports the pad 1), and the rigidity in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) is smaller than that in the horizontal direction. The rigidity in the direction (the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction) makes the pad 1 conform to the shape of the object to be transported. In other words, the leaf spring 3 supports the pad 1 such that it allows the displacement of the pad 1 in the vertical direction and limits the displacement of the pad 1 in the horizontal direction. In this way, the leaf spring 3 has elasticity corresponding to the shape of the object to be transported by the weight of the object to be transported, in other words, it conforms to the inclination of warping or deformation of the object to be transported in the Z tilt direction (ωx direction and ωy direction). And the leaf spring 3 has rigidity which can limit the position of the pad 1 in the XY plane direction.

The leaf spring 3 may be configured to have three support members 3a, as shown in FIG. 2A, and may be configured to have four support members 3a as shown in FIG. 2B. The more the support unit 3a, the more the rigidity is increased in the XY plane direction, although the elasticity in the Z oblique direction is lowered. Further, each of the supporting units 3a includes a curved portion 3d that extends from the contact portion 3c with respect to the pad 1 in the same direction along the periphery of the pad 1. In order to achieve sufficient elasticity in the Z-tilt direction, the support unit 3a has a total length L2 which is longer than the distance L1 between the center position of the pad 1 and the fixed position at which the leaf spring 3 is fixed to the base 2, such as This is shown in Figure 2A.

The support unit 3a of the leaf spring 3 is arranged to be rotationally symmetrical around the pad 1. Thereby, the difference in rigidity in the ωx direction and the ωy direction in the Z oblique direction can be reduced, and therefore, regardless of the direction of the leaf spring 3, specifically irrespective of the arrangement relationship of the support unit 3a with respect to the mat 1, the mat 1 Can conform to the shape of the object being transported.

As shown in Fig. 3, one end (support unit 3a) of the leaf spring 3 is attached to the bottom surface of the pad 1 (on the side opposite to the adsorption surface), and the other end of the leaf spring 3 (described later) The connecting portion 3b) is attached to the top surface of the support base 2c formed on the base 2 so as to have a constant height. As shown in FIG. 3, a groove 1c is formed on the bottom surface of the mat 1. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a groove 2d is formed in the support base 2c. The adhesive is applied to the groove 1c, and the pad 1 and the leaf spring 3 are thus connected. Similarly, an adhesive is applied to the groove 2d, and the support base 2c and the leaf spring 3 are thus connected. Thereby, both the pad 1 and the support base 2c (base 2) are in direct contact with the leaf spring 3, and thus it is possible to ensure the electrical conductivity from the pad 1 via the leaf spring 3 to the base 2. Here, FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which the pad 1 and the leaf spring 3 are removed from the adsorption pad unit 11 shown in FIG. 2A (particularly, the base 2).

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2A, the leaf spring 3 includes a connecting portion 3b having an annular shape that connects the end portion of the supporting unit 3a on the side in contact with the mat 1 (contact portion 3c) The end on the opposite side. As shown in FIG. 3, the leaf spring 3 is fixed to the base 2 via the connecting portion 3b. According to this, since the three or more supporting units 3a can be integrally fixed to the base 2, the work of fixing the supporting unit 3a to the base 2 can be simplified. However, as shown in FIG. 5, a configuration in which the leaf spring 3 does not include the connecting portion 3b can be employed. In this case, the end of each of the support units 3a on the side opposite to the end on the side in contact with the pad 1 can be fixed to the base 2. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the adsorption pad unit 11.

The leaf spring 3 is composed of, for example, SUS (stainless steel) material, and is made to have a thickness of 0.03 mm and a width of 3 mm, and the length of the support unit 3a is 15 mm. In this case, the spring constant of the leaf spring 3 is of the order of 10 ⁶ N/m in the XY plane direction and 10 N/m in the Z oblique direction, and it can satisfy the rigidity ratio in the vertical direction. A lower rigidity condition in the horizontal direction.

The O-ring 4 is an annular member including the hollow portion 4a, and is in contact with the pad 1 and the base 2, and is deformable in the Z-axis direction. The O-ring 4 is restricted in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction by the support unit 2e formed on the base 2. In this way, the O-ring 4 is disposed between the base 2 and the mat 1 and is deformable in the vertical direction of the mat 1 and functions as a second elastic member for supporting the mat 1.

As shown in Fig. 3, an O-ring 4 is disposed between the base 2 and the mat 1 to form a passage 4b which communicates with the through hole 1b and the exhaust hole 2a via the passage 4b. Therefore, the airtightness of the space formed by the adsorption tank 1a, the through hole 1b, the passage 4b, the exhaust hole 2a, and the passage 2b is maintained.

Further, the O-ring 4 is fixed relative to the base 2 by an adhesive or the like, and is in contact (bonding) and separation with the pad 1 without being fixed to the pad 1. It should be noted that in FIG. 3, the O-ring 4 is only in contact with the pad 1, but if the airtightness in the contact surface of the leaf spring 3 can be maintained, the O-ring can be brought into contact with the leaf spring 3. Configuration.

Fig. 6 shows a state in which the leaf spring 3 receives the weight of the object W to be conveyed and is deformed (twisted and bent) in the Z oblique direction, in which state the pad 1 supported on the leaf spring 3 is inclined to conform to The shape (warpage, etc.) of the object W to be transported. In the present embodiment, as described above, the plate spring 3 is more rigid in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction. According to this, since the pad 1 (adsorption pad unit 11) can suppress the movement in the horizontal direction (positional shift) while conforming to the shape of the object W to be transported, the transporting hand 10 can be maintained high with respect to the object W to be transported. positioning accuracy. At this time, since the O-ring is deformed by its elasticity, the airtightness of the space formed by the adsorption tank 1a, the through hole 1b, the passage 4b, the exhaust hole 2a, and the passage 2b is maintained.

7A to 7C are views showing the shape of a substrate (reconfiguration substrate) as an example of a carried object. Up to now, the warpage of the substrate is usually a shape in which the periphery is uniformly deformed (bowl shape). However, in recent years, in semiconductor exposure processing, there is a reconfigured substrate in which the wafer is reconfigured on the resin, and the warpage in such a reconfigured substrate is usually an uneven shape on the periphery ( Saddle shape). For example, the reconfiguration substrate may have a shape as shown in FIG. 7A in the diameter direction and a shape as shown in FIG. 7B in the peripheral direction. In FIG. 7A, the ordinate indicates the amount of warpage of the reconfigurable substrate, and the abscissa indicates the position of the reconfigurable substrate in the diametrical direction. In FIG. 7B, the ordinate indicates the amount of warpage of the reconfigurable substrate, and the abscissa indicates the position (angle) of the reconfigurable substrate in the peripheral direction. Further, FIG. 7C indicates the shape of the reconfiguration substrate shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B in a contour line. In order for the (adsorption surface) of the mat 1 to conform to such a substrate, the rigidity in the Z oblique direction must be lower than the rigidity in both the ωx direction and the ωy direction (any direction).

Here, the prior art adsorption pad unit 1100 will be explained. FIG. 8A is a plan view of the adsorption pad unit 1100. FIG. 8B is a YZ cross-sectional view of the adsorption pad unit 1100. FIG. 8C is a ZX cross-sectional view of the adsorption pad unit 1100. In the adsorption pad unit 1100, as shown in FIGS. 8A to 8C, the leaf spring 1130 fixed to the base 1120 supports the pad 1110 at two points, in other words, by two supports extending in the X direction. The unit supports the pad 1110. Further, an O-ring 1140 is disposed between the base 1120 and the pad 1110. In this case, for the elasticity in the Z oblique direction, there is greater elasticity in the ωx direction and less elasticity in the ωy direction.

The leaf spring 1130 is composed of, for example, SUS (stainless steel) material, and has a thickness of 0.03 mm, a width of 10 mm, and a length of 30 mm. In this case, the spring constant of the leaf spring 1130 is of the order of 10 N/m in the ωx direction and 10 ^-1 N/m in the ωy direction, and has a magnitude difference of about 10 times. According to this, in the adsorption pad unit 1100, the amount of deformation in the ωy direction is insufficient, and as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, since the (adsorption surface) of the pad 1110 does not completely conform to the object to be transported W, The handling object W cannot be adsorbed well. Here, it is conceivable to reduce the rigidity in the ωy direction so that the pad 1110 conforms to the object W to be transported, but the rigidity in the XY plane direction eventually becomes low, and it is difficult to hold the object W to be transported with high positioning accuracy.

Accordingly, in the present embodiment, by supporting the leaf spring 3 of the pad 1 at three or more points, the rigidity in the ωx direction and the rigidity in the ωy direction are substantially equal, and are maintained in the XY plane. Rigidity in the direction. Therefore, even in the case where the object to be transported is the reconfigurable substrate as shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, high positioning accuracy in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction can be maintained, and the pad 1 is conformed to being carried. object.

Further, in the case where a plurality of adsorption pad units 11 are provided in the base 2, the height of the (adsorption surface) of the pad 1 and the plane parallelism may differ due to tolerances and assembly errors of the members. However, in the present embodiment, such a difference can be absorbed by tilting the pad 1 caused by the deformation of the leaf spring 3 and the O-ring 4 in each of the plurality of adsorption pad units 11 in the adsorption pad unit 11.

Further, when the object to be transported is transported from the transport hand 10 to the specific target, in order to suppress damage to the object to be transported, the adsorption of the object to be transported is usually released. At this time, the conveyed object is stopped by the transporter 10, and there is a possibility that the positioning accuracy of the object to be transported will be lowered due to vibration of the surrounding unit or the like. In the present embodiment, as described above, since the O-ring 4 can be contacted and separated with respect to the pad 1, the area in which the O-ring 4 contacts the pad 1 is smaller than the area in which the pad 1 adsorbs the object to be transported. According to this, even when the object to be transported is transported while the transporting hand 10 is adsorbing the object to be transported, the O-ring 4 is separated from the mat 1 before the mat 1 is separated from the object to be transported, and the air is in the O-ring 4 and The pad 1 is released between. For this reason, in the present embodiment, even when the object to be transported is transported while the transporting hand 10 is sucking the object to be transported, damage to the object to be transported can be suppressed.

Further, when the object to be transported is a substrate, there is a case where a pattern for manufacturing a semiconductor device formed on the substrate is damaged by ESD (electrostatic discharge) when the substrate is charged. Accordingly, the handling hand 10 must be constructed of a material having suitable electrical conductivity. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the mat 1 is formed of a material having conductivity, specifically, the mat 1 is made of ceramics, and the leaf spring 3 is composed of a SUS material to secure a pad from which the object to be transported is adsorbed. 1 to the electrical conductivity of the base 2, and suppresses charging of the object to be transported. Here, the conductivity of the pad 1 may be from 10 ³ Ω-cm to 10 ⁸ Ω-cm, and at this conductivity, there is charge suppression. Meanwhile, in the case where the leaf spring 3 is composed of a conductor (for example, SUS material), an insulating layer is formed by applying an insulating treatment to the surface of the leaf spring 3, and ESD can be suppressed.

In this way, the present embodiment can provide a carrying hand 10 that facilitates holding an object to be transported with high positioning accuracy.

A handling apparatus as an aspect of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing the configuration of a handling apparatus 100 according to an aspect of the present invention. The conveyance device 100 conveys a substrate (wafer or glass plate) as a conveyed object to a substrate stage or the like.

The transporting apparatus 100 includes a transporting hand 10 for holding the object W to be transported, an arm portion 102 for supporting the transporting hand 10 and being movable, and a driving unit 103 for driving the arm portion 102. Further, the transporting apparatus 100 includes an exhaust unit 104 that is connected to the adsorption pad unit 11 of the transporting hand 10 via a pipe, and which controls adsorption (vacuum adsorption) of the object to be transported W (in other words, exhaust of the adsorption tank 1a) . Since the transporting apparatus 100 employs the transporting hand 10 that is advantageous for holding the object W to be transported with high positioning accuracy, the transporting apparatus 100 can transport the transported object W while holding the transported object W with high positioning accuracy.

An exposure apparatus which is one aspect of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. Fig. 11 is a schematic view showing the configuration of an exposure apparatus 200 according to an aspect of the present invention. The exposure apparatus 200 is a lithography apparatus employed in lithography processing, which is a manufacturing process for a semiconductor device or a liquid crystal display device, and the exposure device 200 forms a pattern on a substrate. The exposure apparatus 200 employs, for example, a step-and-repeat method, and transfers a pattern formed on the reticle R onto the substrate S.

As shown in FIG. 11, the exposure apparatus 200 includes an illumination optical system 201, a reticle stage 210, a projection optical system 211, a substrate stage (holding unit) 204, a handling device 100, and a control unit 206.

The illumination optical system 201 illuminates the reticle R with light emitted from a light source (not shown). The reticle R is an original on which a pattern (for example, a circuit pattern) to be transferred to the substrate S is formed, and is composed of, for example, quartz glass. The reticle stage 210 holds the reticle R and moves in various directions on the X-axis and the Y-axis.

The projection optical system 211 projects light passing through the reticle R onto the substrate S by a predetermined amplification factor (for example, 1/2). The substrate S is, for example, a substrate composed of single crystal germanium, and a resist (photoresist) is applied to the surface thereof. The substrate stage 204 holds the substrate S via the chuck 205 and moves at least in various directions along the X-axis and the Y-axis. The control unit 206 is constituted by, for example, a computer including a CPU, a memory, and the like, and controls each unit of the exposure apparatus 200 in accordance with the program.

The exposure apparatus 200 employs the conveyance apparatus 100 which conveys the board|substrate S which is an object to be conveyed to the board|substrate stage 204. According to this, since the exposure apparatus 200 can carry the substrate S while holding the substrate S with a higher positioning accuracy with respect to the substrate stage 204, the positional shift of the substrate S on the substrate stage 204 can be reduced, and thus, for example, Can increase production.

For example, the method of manufacturing an article in the embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing an article such as a device (a semiconductor element, a magnetic storage medium, a liquid crystal display element, etc.). This manufacturing method includes the steps of exposing (forming a pattern on the substrate) the substrate to which the photoresist is applied by using the exposure device 200; and developing (processing the substrate) the substrate after the substrate is exposed. Moreover, such fabrication methods can include other known steps (oxidation, deposition, vapor deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, cutting, bonding, packaging, etc.). The method of manufacturing an article in the present embodiment is advantageous in at least one of product performance, quality, productivity, and manufacturing cost as compared with the conventional method.

In the present invention, the lithography apparatus is not limited to the exposure apparatus, and may be applied to a lithography apparatus such as an imprint apparatus, a drawing apparatus, or the like. Here, the imprinting apparatus to which the pattern of the mold is transferred is formed by bringing the imprint material supplied onto the substrate and the mold into contact with each other and applying energy to the imprint apparatus which solidifies the imprint material. Further, the drawing device forms a pattern (latent image pattern) on the substrate by performing drawing on the substrate with a charged particle beam (electron beam) or a laser beam. The above method of manufacturing an article can be performed using these lithography apparatuses.

While the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the illustrative embodiments disclosed. The scope of the following claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation to cover all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

1‧‧‧ pads

1a‧‧‧Adsorption tank

1b‧‧‧through hole

1c‧‧‧ slot

2‧‧‧ base

2a‧‧‧ venting holes

2b‧‧‧ channel

2c‧‧‧support base

2d‧‧‧ slot

2e‧‧‧Support unit

3‧‧‧ plate spring

3a‧‧‧Support unit (support member)

3b‧‧‧Connected section

3c‧‧‧Contact section

3d‧‧‧bend part

4‧‧‧O-ring

4a‧‧‧ hollow part

4b‧‧‧ channel

10‧‧‧Transporters

11‧‧‧Adsorption pad unit

12‧‧‧Support pad unit

100‧‧‧Handling equipment

102‧‧‧arm section

103‧‧‧Drive unit

104‧‧‧Exhaust unit

200‧‧‧Exposure equipment

201‧‧‧Lighting optical system

204‧‧‧ substrate table

205‧‧‧ chuck

206‧‧‧Control unit

210‧‧‧Marking line

211‧‧‧Projection optical system

1100‧‧‧Adsorption pad unit

1110‧‧‧ pads

1120‧‧‧ base

1130‧‧‧ plate spring

1140‧‧‧O-ring

L1‧‧‧ distance

L2‧‧‧ total length

R‧‧‧ reticle

S‧‧‧Substrate

W‧‧‧Transported objects

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a carrying hand according to an aspect of the present invention.

2A and 2B are plan views of the adsorption pad unit of the carrying hand shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the suction pad unit of the carrying hand shown in Figure 1.

4 is a plan view of the base of the adsorption pad unit shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the adsorption pad unit of the carrying hand shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the adsorption pad unit of the carrying hand shown in Figure 1.

7A to 7C are views showing an example of the shape of an object to be transported (reconfigured substrate).

8A to 8C are views showing a configuration of a suction pad unit in the prior art.

9A and 9B are views showing a configuration of a suction pad unit in the prior art.

Figure 10 is a schematic view showing the configuration of a handling apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention.

Figure 11 is a schematic view showing the configuration of an exposure apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention.

Claims (19)

A transporting hand for holding an object to be transported, the carrying hand comprising: a base; a pad configured to adsorb the object to be transported; and a first elastic member fixed to the base and configured to support the mat, wherein The first elastic member includes three or more support units, each of which is configured to support the pad, and the first elastic member is configured such that rigidity in a vertical direction is lower than rigidity in a horizontal direction, thereby The pad is made to conform to the shape of the object being transported. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the first elastic member supports the pad to enable the pad to be displaced in the vertical direction and to limit displacement of the pad in the horizontal direction. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the pad has a circular outer shape, and each of the three or more support units includes a curved portion along a periphery of the pad Extending from the contact portion, the support unit is in contact with the pad at the contact portion. The carrier of claim 3, wherein the curved portion of each of the three or more support units extends in the same direction along a circumference of the pad. The carrier of claim 4, wherein the curved portion of each of the three or more support units has a total length that is greater than a center position of the pad and the first elastic member The distance between the fixed positions fixed to the base is longer. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the first elastic member includes a connecting portion that connects the end of each of the three or more supporting units to the side contacting the mat An end on the opposite side, and the first elastic member is fixed to the base via the connecting portion. The carrier of claim 6, wherein the connecting portion has a ring shape. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the three or more support units are arranged to be rotationally symmetric about the pad. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the first elastic member comprises a leaf spring. The carrier of claim 1, further comprising a second elastic member disposed between the base and the pad, deformable in a vertical direction of the pad, and configured to support the pad . The carrier of claim 10, wherein the pad comprises a through hole, wherein one end of the through hole communicates with an adsorption groove for adsorbing the object to be transported, and the other end of the through hole is open to the base And the base portion includes a vent hole, wherein one end of the vent hole communicates with an exhaust unit for exhausting air of the adsorption groove, and the other end of the vent hole opens to the pad, and the second elasticity The member is an annular member including a hollow portion and is disposed between the base and the pad to form a passage through which the hollow portion communicates with the through hole and the vent hole. A carrier according to claim 10, wherein the second elastic member is fixed to the base and detachably disposed on the mat. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the first elastic member is made of a material having electrical conductivity. A carrier according to claim 1, wherein an insulating layer is formed on a surface of the first elastic member. A carrier according to claim 1, wherein the carrier has conductivity from the pad to the base. A handling device for transporting an object to be transported, the handling device comprising: a handling hand configured to hold the object to be transported; an arm portion configured to support the carrying hand; and a driving unit configured to drive the arm portion Wherein the carrying hand comprises: a base; a pad configured to adsorb the object to be transported; and a first elastic member fixed to the base and configured to support the pad, wherein the first elastic member comprises three One or more support units, each of which is configured to support the pad, and the first elastic member is configured such that the rigidity in the vertical direction is lower than the rigidity in the horizontal direction, thereby making the pad conform to the object to be carried shape. A lithography apparatus for forming a pattern on a substrate, the lithography apparatus comprising: a holding unit configured to hold the substrate; and a handling device configured to transport the substrate as the object to be carried to the holding unit, Wherein the handling device comprises: a handling hand configured to hold the object to be transported; an arm portion configured to support the carrying hand; and a driving unit configured to drive the arm portion, the carrying hand comprising: a base; a pad Configuring to adsorb the object to be transported; and a first elastic member fixed to the base and configured to support the mat, wherein the first elastic member includes three or more support units, each supporting unit The pad is configured to support the first elastic member such that the rigidity in the vertical direction is lower than the rigidity in the horizontal direction such that the pad conforms to the shape of the object to be transported. A method of manufacturing an article, the method comprising: forming a pattern on a substrate by using a lithography apparatus; processing the substrate after the pattern is formed on the substrate; and manufacturing the article from the processed substrate, wherein The lithography apparatus includes: a holding unit configured to hold the substrate; and a handling device configured to transport the substrate as a carried object to the holding unit, the handling device comprising: a handling hand configured to hold the An object to be transported; an arm portion configured to support the carrying hand; and a driving unit configured to drive the arm portion, and the carrying hand includes: a base; a pad configured to adsorb the object to be transported; and a first elasticity a member fixed to the base and configured to support the pad, wherein the first elastic member includes three or more support units, each support unit configured to support the pad, and the first elastic member is configured to Make the vertical direction Lower than the rigidity in the horizontal direction, so that the pads conform to the shape of the object to be conveyed. A retaining mechanism that is to be used in a carrying hand for holding an object to be transported, the retaining mechanism comprising: a pad configured to adsorb the object to be transported; and a first elastic member fixed to a base of the carrying hand And configured to support the pad, wherein the first elastic member includes three or more supporting units, each supporting unit configured to support the pad, and the first elastic member is configured to have low rigidity in a vertical direction The rigidity in the horizontal direction is such that the pad conforms to the shape of the object to be transported.